Cross Country Team Required to Run in MinShoes

[trevize1138]

Awesome!

I'm hoping my own two kids (10yo and 5yo) will want to run track and CC like I did and if so I'm glad to be starting them early on minimalist footwear. My daughter's really liked wearing her Xero Prios to school this year. My 5yo boy's feet aren't currently big enough to find a huge selection of minimalist shoes for him but he loves totally barefoot whenever he can and I've, of course, encouraged that.

In our own town our top HS girls CC runner this year trained and raced in Trail Gloves, too. I know her dad who himself has BQ'd a few times and used to run in VFFs. Another good friend of mine runs unshod with me and has 4 kids all about the same age as my two. I sometimes daydream that he and I are helping raise up a tribe of barefoot CC runners ready to prove themselves when they reach middle school.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Have you considered water shoes/aqua socks for your kids? They're some of the healthiest enclosed minshoes I have found.

Both of my boys love to run barefoot. My oldest son, 15, and I, when I could run, would often run 6 miles barefoot together, sometimes in pouring rain, sometimes in the dark. So much fun. Great bonding experience. These are some of my nicest memories. I have made a good impression on both of them, as they prefer to be barefoot all the time. My 11 year old refuses to wear shoes, except for school.

 

[Tyler J L]

That's very nice. It would be a cool event

 

[trevize1138]

I actually got my 5yo a pair of the smallest size available for Xero DIY sandals. They were still a touch long on him but sort of comically way too wide. I can't imagine anybody with feet the shape of those! It's almost like Xero only shortens the footbed but the width remains constant.

This summer his feet should fit those just about perfectly. I'm thinking of taking an X-acto knife to the sides as he was tripping a bit on that. Didn't matter too much, of course, as he goes barefoot whenever possible.